St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-08-27
THE TRAGEDY OF HAMDUN.

THE TRAGEDY OF HAMOON.
The Discovery Of Two Tender Hearted
Little Children-Their Grief and Com
pasal0n.
One early summer morning before
the damp touch of the dew had BEEN
wiped from the grass and flowers by
the sun, and while impatient cows wero
waiting to be relieved of their precious
burdens, two lit le children. strayinS
from their home. and rambling along
the main road Of Hamdun. came sud-
denly upon . scene Of tragedy. In
one of the deep ruts of the road that
had been cut by multitudinous wagon
wheels the victim lay. The dark.
thick native forest shaded the spot
from one side. and on the other side
the sheaves of great corn field whis-
pered.
There were no very conspicuous in-
dications that murder had been COM
mitted; probably no eyes but those OF
observing children would have discov-
cred any thing. The underbrush at the
edge of the woods had not been broken
or trampled down. and not stalk in
the corn-field was disturbed.
1t was evident there had been no
struggle. To all appearances the VIC
tim had been attacked when he was
resting or asleep. oblivious of danger,
and beaten down before thought Of
opposition or fight could enter his
brain.
Poor little lifeless body-harlly
more than a baby-cut and crushed
and mangled by the devices of its muir
derers and ground into the hard. rough
road by the cruel wheels which had
passed over it
1t was q stranger to the children
they had never played with little boy
dressed rs this poor body was. Its gar
ment-only one remained-was made
of soft material like fine fur-nothing
like the cloth the people of Hamdun
wove. The tender-hearted children
grieved and had compassionate much
50, perhaps. as if the little one had
been known to them. They gently
lifted the mutilated form from the hard
road. and. carrying it to the edge Of tho
woods. laid il upon the soft
green grass. where it was
shaded by the rustling leaves over
head. And when they had done this
they ran to their mother to tell her Of
the discovery. for she was always the
first one they searched for II they were
in trouble or had any news to tell. But
mother this morning, to their wonder
and chagrin. took very little notice OF
what they said. Perhaps she did not
realize the enormity of the crime
and why should the poor. tired. over
worked woman heed the prattle Of
children, who 50 often talked nero
nonsense? Could she be blamed for
not showing sympathy and sorrow
when they spoke Of a poor, mangled,
defaced corpse? But the children, they
blamed her and could not understand
why she had been so cold and indiffer-
ent Disappointed and surprised they
stole away once more to the spot where
they had lain the remains. The dew
was gone. for the sun was bright and
warm now. but tears dampened tho
little body. With a stick these little
ones scooped out tiny grave in tho
mold, and when it was done they
tenderly placed the little victim there.
They had no shroud to wrap about it,
no casket to shield it, and had it not
been for the falling tears the little
stranger would have been buried 40
men bury an animal. To the simple
hearted grave-diggers. the spot was .
thing of quiet sadness for long after.
Often they came to it and decked it
with flowers and wcpt over it. And
when the cold winter came. and they
could visit the spot no more. they
would cuddle before the warm fire and
whisper over it
But no one else knew. and no ono
else would have cared. What is the
loss Of one small being? What was
the grief of parents who looked vainly
for their offspring? No man or wo-
man in the practical community Of
Hamdun would have even sighed
nay. it is possible they all would have
been glad If they knew there was one
less field mouse in the world.-N. =.
Tribune.
The hump on the back Of the